Photograph by Ray Ortiz
For more than sixty years, Louis Mendes (b. 1940) has used his signature Graflex Speed Graphic camera to create portraits that form a singular record of New York City and its people. Born and raised in Jamaica, Queens, Mendes discovered photography at age fourteen, introduced to the medium by his sister. He began by documenting family gatherings before expanding his practice to friends, neighbors, and eventually strangers he encountered across the city. His work developed outside formal institutions, informed by his background in electronics and his understanding of the camera as both a technical instrument and a means of exchange.
Mendes began working professionally in the late 1950s and 1960s, photographing nightlife, parties, and community events, often producing and selling instant prints directly to his subjects. In the 1970s, he worked as a portrait photographer, traveling throughout New York’s boroughs and neighboring states to make home portraits of families and friends. He later established his own business, developing a distinctive style of on-the-spot portraiture and experimenting with double exposures and layered compositions that gave his images both immediacy and intimacy.
A fixture on the streets of New York, Mendes has continued to photograph daily for more than seventy years, creating an evolving portrait of the city and its people. His practice—rooted in human connection and sustained engagement—has influenced generations of photographers who see in his work a model of independence and dedication. His photographs and story have been featured in, among others, The New Yorker and The New York Times. Mendes continues to live and work in New York City, remaining an active chronicler of the city’s streets, celebrations, and everyday encounters.
